"KUWTK" Recap: Kris Has a Meltdown and Kylie Looks Terrified on a Red Carpet

Before we get down to last night's Keeping Up With the Kardashians, can we discuss whatever bet Kanye lost to Kim that's led to his cheerful participation in two consecutive episodes so far? Sure, he still refers to it as "my wife's TV show," but he's there and involved and talking and smiling like he means it. What manner of witchcraft is this? It could just be that he finally realized he could basically have five minutes worth of live concert footage broadcast on primetime television every week (like he did last night) but never mind the reason — let's get down to the episode.

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The Kim Kardashian Memorial Award for Achievement in Insensitivity: It's interesting to watch the "other side" of the response to Caitlyn's transition, having seen the story from Caitlyn's perspective all summer long on I Am Cait. (It will also be interesting to see how much of Caitlyn we'll be seeing on KUWTK this season, given the tension between her and Kris.) Kim, determined to cheer her clearly very sad mom up, goes to Caitlyn's house and asks for some clothing Bruce used to wear, then surprises her mom with it. On camera. While informing her who designed every piece. It's a well-intentioned gesture, but it's also a hell of a lot to spring on someone. And while we're on the subject of Kim's decision-making: Does she ever get to claim something was censored or left out "for North's privacy" after broadcasting North's entire baptism?

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R.I.P., Kylie Jenner's Childhood: Last night's episode drove home the fact that Kylie's not a kid anymore, and you can see how hard the past few months have been on her. Walking the red carpet for the Billboard Music Awards the night the About Bruce special airs, she's clearly terrified, and all the support she gets is Kendall standing someplace nearby (to be fair, Kendall had professional obligations that kept her from being right at Kylie's side). Kylie's publicist tries to assure her — "I told them no questions about your lips and if you start to feel uncomfortable about your dad, move on." — but Kylie seems thrown to the sharks nonetheless.

Reality TV Can Be Real: My editor told me that Cosmo cover segment was, in fact real (I'm not surprised). But I think more and more of the micro-dramas in each KUWTK are becoming staged. That said, there was nothing fake about Kim (1) forgetting to text Khloé to tell her about Kanye's late-night show and then (2) unabashedly pretending she did text and that Khloé had just missed it. That's classic sister shit right there.

There was also nothing fake about Kanye's sheer delight over the outfit a bishop in an ancient Armenian church was wearing — a long black robe with a black hood. Seriously, he was gleeful, and Khloé was absolutely right that he'll almost definitely have a line of clothing inspired by (or perhaps exclusively for) priests out within the year.

This Week in SERIOUSLY?! Look, I get that Kris is going through something unimaginably difficult. Of course Caitlyn's transition has been hard on her. But the way that stress is coming through is a bad look. Kris is taking piano lessons using Kourtney's piano, and when she shows up for a lesson, wearing a tuxedo jacket with tails, she's heartbroken that Kim isn't there, because most women in their 30s with small children drop everything to watch their moms learn "Chopsticks," I guess. "I can't believe Kim flaked, today of all days," she says, morosely, then brings it up again with Kim later. I'm not sure whether "shake it off," "grow up," or "pick your battles" is the appropriate advice here. Also, no one should conduct serious business discussions in a fedora, except for maybe Carmen Sandiego.

Great Moments in Cultural Sensitivity: There's something I can't quite put my finger on about the trip to Armenia that rubbed me the wrong way, but I think it came to a head when Kim was talking about Kanye's surprise show. I have no problem with the show itself — Kanye loves a grand gesture, and I love Kanye doing Kanye — but Kim going on about how cool it was for "the people here" sounded subtly tone-deaf (it's their country).

Words to Live By: "I'm, like, a self-taught genius." —Kourtney, just after plunking out "Mary Had a Little Lamb, expressing confidence we all should try to emulate

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